Nearly-mute man with Alzheimer’s shares sweet moments with family dog

Nearly-mute man with Alzheimer’s shares sweet moments with family dog

A video posted to YouTube shows a nearly-mute man with Alzheimer’s sharing a sweet, emotional moment with a dog.

On Thursday, Lisa Abeyta spent some time with her father, who is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s.

“My parents have two dogs in their home, one of which, Molly, is my father’s constant companion,” Abeyta wrote in a blog post. “More than once, I’ve watched him coo and talk to Molly even as his ability to form sentences and find the words he needs to communicate has deteriorated.”

When Lisa and her father arrived at her home on Thursday, Roscoe greeted her father at the door. For the next hour, Lisa’s father petted and talked to Roscoe.

“Not wanting to lose the memory of the moment, I filmed a few moments of his interaction with our dog, amazed at the clarity of my father’s words,” Abeyta said. “That evening, I watched the clips of videos and wanted to share the moment with my mom and our family.”

Abeyta said she wanted a memory that her family could hold onto. She then posted the video on YouTube to share with family and friends.

“I had no idea the video would touch so many people or be shared so many times,” Abeyta wrote. “The comments and emails – for the most part – have been a wonderfully moving procession of individuals sharing their own journey through Alzheimers or dementia. It is a cruel disease, and the kind words of others who have faced similar experiences has left me feeling not quite so alone in it all.”

Abeyta said she has declined several requests to monetize the video, saying she’s not interested.

“This was a tribute to my father and the celebration of a beautiful moment within a tremendously difficult journey my mother and father are facing,” Abeyta wrote. “So thanks, but no thanks. It’s not for sale.”

At the end of the video, Abeyta added a sweet message: “If your parents can still talk to you, please listen. You never know when will be the last time.”